The Watering Hole: August 27 – A Quick War

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Disposition of British and Zanzibar-an Naval Forces in Zanzibar Town Harbor

The Anglo-Zanzibar War fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896 lasted but 38 minutes. It was the shortest war in recorded history.

Of course, The Gunfight at OK Corral a bit shorter at 30 seconds does not count because it was fought between rival gangs. To be classified a war, a gang fight had to be between nations.

The war came because of the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on the 24 of August. During his reign he had co-operated with the British colonial administration in running of his country. Tensions had being growing in the area for some time before this. The British a freedom-loving and compassionate world power were pushing to end the slave trade in Zanzibar dating back to the Omani in the 17th Century. Sultan Hamad bin Thuwainis’s nephew, Khalid bin Bargash, took over on the Sultan’s death. The British favored a cousin, Hamud bin Muhammed, another cousin who supported slavery but to a lesser extent than Bargash. The British delivered an ultimatum ordering Bargash to give up the throne.

The ultimatum ran out at 9.02 am on August 27, at which time the Royal Navy ships opened fire on the palace. The Sultan’s Fleet was sunk; the palace was taking a beating and Bargash was losing a lot of men. He made a tactical retreat to the German embassy where he requested and was granted asylum. The shelling stopped at 9.40 thus ending the war. The death toll stood at about 500.

Now compare that conflict to one in Iraq. You can say that the British knew how to start and finish a war.

This is our Open Thread. You can have at it now.

195 thoughts on “The Watering Hole: August 27 – A Quick War”

  1. .

    A bit beyond the 38 minute war…

    US troops may stay in Afghanistan until 2024

    America and Afghanistan are close to signing a strategic pact which would allow thousands of United States troops to remain in the country until at least 2024, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

    Reply ↓

    • Is it just me, or is Amurka getting collectively dumber by the day? Thirteen more years in Afghanistan — to be made possible and paid for by killing Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security at home?

      Speaking of dumber by the day — Ron Paul said yesterday, in criticizing the very existence of FEMA and federal disaster relief, “The government’s not responsible for your safety, that’s why we have a second amendment.” So obviously, the solution to any and all disaster and devastation that might be caused by hurricane Irene is that old “second amendment solution.” Grab yer guns and shoot them damn gubmint disaster workers! That’ll make everything right, right?

      The dumb: it starts wearin’ on a person after awhile.

      Reply ↓

      • According to Ron Paul, I should grab my shotgun and shoot at the skies as hurricane Irene passes over. Wow! How is that going to stop the heavy rain and wind? Is that shotgun going to keep trees from falling? These tea bagger/Randians are selfish and greedy. They are unlovable. I spit in Ron Paul’s face.

        Reply ↓

        • WWII ended some 65 years ago, but we’re still in Germany.

          The 2nd Amendment solution for disaster relief means those that prepared for the disaster will lose what they have to those who have the most armament. I.e. it is better to stockpile guns and ammo than food and water, so that you can take the food and water from those who have it.

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  3. We will be hunkering down this afternoon as Irene approaches. If you don’t hear from me for awhile, it will be because we lost power, which I am expecting to happen. We have the water jugs filled, the flashlights are working and ready, and the freezer can be hooked up the generator. As you can tell, we have been through this before. At least it is not an ice storm.

    Hope that Outstanding and all her farm critters are safe.

    Reply ↓

    • Hope all will be OK for you and your family. I have a cousin in Chesapeake VA. They left for western VA yesterday.

      Reply ↓

    • Remember the fate of JFK after he decided to NOT enrich the MIC and instead, in his first three years as president, refused war with Cuba, called the Soviet missile bluff, and order a pullout from Vietnam. Even the post-event coverup was scripted in advance.

      Some dudes won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

      Reply ↓

  5. I wasn’t around last night to see the Friday Night Music Thread, but the guy in the middle of the album cover at the top of the thread was my former Congressman John Hall, the first professional musician elected to Congress. He and his wife co-wrote “Dance With Me” and “Still The One”.

    Reply ↓

      • He may have been outvoted by the other guys in the band. And while he has long been an activist (he was one of the organizers of the No Nukes Rally in Battery Park), I don’t think he had political aspirations back then. He eventually (decades later) ran for School Board President and served doing that for a few years before running for Congress.

        Reply ↓

      • John Hall is performing again and putting together a new CD. It ought to be interesting, at least, since he’s good friends with and often performs with Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and others along the same lines. Unfortunately, we missed his recent performance at a place called the Towne Crier in Pawling, he was there a week or two ago.

        Of course, Wayne and I met and spoke with John Hall many times, both during his campaign and in a “Congressman on your Corner”, but we never asked him about the album cover. I also met Jackson Browne back in 1974, but I was more concerned at the time about meeting my blind date. Stupid me!

        Reply ↓

    • That’s a fake Bachmann tweet. The real @MicheleBachmann spells her name with one “L”. (I follow her in case she tweets something incredibly stupid to which I might want to reply; I have as many GOP Pres candidates as I can on one of my lists.) That’s why, for a while at the beginning, Twitter had “verified accounts”. They no longer do that for free, and would only do it for famous people who might be confused with someone else or people who work for one of their advertisers.

      Reply ↓

      • I mis-spelled her name at the top. It’s spelled with one L on the tweet itself, but without the second E.

        Bachmann is insane, but she isn’t stupid, so she’d probably think something like that, but wouldn’t put it writing on the interwebs. 😀

        Reply ↓

        • Then it’s still a fake. I looked through all her recent tweets and she said nothing like that. it’s one of the weird things that go on on the Twitter, fake accounts of famous people so they can post snarky or stupid things. There’s a Barak Obama account and a Barracks Obama one, too. If you have any doubts about a Bachmann tweet, just ask me and I’ll find out if it’s for real. It’s easy to do. Same thing for Sarah Palin’s official account (which we all know she doesn’t tweet herself.)

          Reply ↓

  7. Google Maps has added some features for tracking Irene — at least for those of us nowhere near the hurricane’s path. Friends of mine are traveling home to New Hampshire and report seeing lots of utility trucks from the Midwest traveling with them. Part of the emergency response has started, in other words, as other states send crews to help with downed lines, etc.

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  9. The rain and wind are just starting here. That was the quickest breakdown/pack-up for a farmers’ market ever.

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  13. I think Irene will turn out to be the Y2K and Carmageddon of hurricanes. After all, it can’t possibly live up to the 24/7 hype machine.

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  14. We all make typos on Twitter, but when you’re famous for dividing the country into Patriots and Pinheads, it’s better if you don’t spell like a pinhead. Actual tweet:

    @oreillyfactor
    Bill O’Reilly
    Presidnet Bush speaks about 9/11. Watch the clip from an upcoming documentary: goo.gl/rBFAw

    Reply ↓

    • O’Reilly doesn’t write his own tweets. They’re obviously written by one of Fox’s chyron-challenged graphics people.

      Reply ↓

      • I know, but whoever does do his tweets has to understand that it’s O’Reilly’s reputation at stake, not their own. Just like the person who does Sarah Palin’s tweets, they can make him look very, very stupid. And if O’Reilly fires him, he can just tweet, “I just fired the guy who does my tweets for being way smarter than me. I won’t stand for that.”

        Reply ↓

  15. .
    Realization: FEMA is prepared – things are falling into place; the President IS IN
    Washington, D.C.
    Will any of this resonate with those who’ve begrudged a vacation to a sitting Pres.? No.

    Was reflecting on what bdmm wrote:

    I think Irene will turn out to be the Y2K and Carmageddon of hurricanes.

    If it does then those who detest our President will blame him for being too cautious: over spending; over reaching..
    in their eyes he’ll not win this one!

    Say – where’s their ‘hero come to save’ Boner? No one has heard or seen him, have they?

    Reply ↓

  16. There is a post on Pam Geller over at TP. I know they often use the least flattering photo they can find for some of there stories, but can anyone tell me what is wrong with that woman’s face?

    Reply ↓

  17. Well, American Grace didn’t show up on my Kindle because I’m in Backwaterville, Redneckistan, but I’m able to read it on my computer right now.

    Hopefully, the book will arrive once I’m back to civilization. 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • More and more, Batshit brings to mind a look-into-the-future poem by Phillip Appleman.

      “Last-Minute Message for a Time Capsule”
      from New and Selected Poems, 1956-1996
      (University of Arkansas Press).

      I have to tell you this, whoever you are
      that on one summer morning here, the ocean
      pounded in on tumbledown breakers,
      a south wind, bustling along the shore,
      whipped the froth into little rainbows,
      and a reckless gull swept down the beach
      as if to fly were everything it needed.
      I thought of your hovering saucers,
      looking for clues, and I wanted to write this down,
      so it wouldn’t be lost forever –
      that once upon a time we had
      meadows here, and astonishing things,
      swans and frogs and luna moths
      and blue skies that could stagger your heart.
      We could have had them still,
      and welcomed you to earth, but
      we also had the righteous ones
      who worshipped the True Faith, and Holy War.
      When you go home to your shining galaxy,
      say that what you learned
      from this dead and barren place is
      to beware the righteous ones.

      Reply ↓

  19. Just when you thought Pat Buchanan couldn’t go any lower…

    “In the first five years of the Iraq war, Asian-Americans were 1 percent of our fallen heroes, Latinos 11 percent, African-Americans 10 percent. White Americans were 75 percent of the dead, and from photos of the fallen in newspapers since, the ratios appear to hold.

    Does this overrepresentation of white men in the body bags and caskets coming home bother our commander in chief, who wants fewer white men at the top level of his executive branch?”

    http://www.creators.com/opinion/pat-buchanan/obama-s-race-based-spoils-system.html

    Reply ↓

    • Aren’t the numbers reasonably close to the ratio of those groups to the entire population? Pat’s an asshole who seems real uncomfy with the minority representation in the oval office.

      Reply ↓

      • The greatest pity of all is that the white assholes who started the unconstitutional and illegal Iraq war, along with white assholes like Pat Buchanan who praise it and cheer it on, are all still alive to wander about and speak freely — and make even bigger assholes of themselves in the process.

        It’s hard enough to watch a nation die, but to watch it commit suicide demands another level entirely.

        Reply ↓

    • I love the last one. If kos is really being sued, wouldn’t the court tell him about court dates? Does the believe our system of justice relies on plaintiffs telling respondents when they have to show up in court to defend themselves?

      Reply ↓

      • In California the court does not inform the defendant about court dates in a civil suit. The court issues a notification of the first case management conference to the plaintiff, who is supposed to serve that on the defendant along with the summons and complaint.

        Any party who files a motion with the court must notify the other party about the hearing date. Both parties are supposed to be in court for the trial setting conference.

        That’ll be 5 cents, please.

        Reply ↓

        • And what happens to the case if the plaintiff claims the defendant was notified but really didn’t? Are they supposed to bring signed slips of paper to certify notification was given? What if they sign the papers themselves?

          In other words, are third parties required to be used for this function, or do the courts rely entirely on the honor system?

          Reply ↓

          • Yes, the plaintiff is to provide to the court a “proof of service” signed under penalty of perjury that the defendant was served. If the plaintiff lies, and gets a judgment by default (the defendant having failed to show up) then, when the plaintiff goes to collect on the judgment, the defendant can claim s/he was never, in fact, served.

            Unfortunately, this can also lead to defendants lying about not having been served. And I have seen that happen on more than one occasion. The courts will err to the side of allowing the case to go to trial.

            that’ll be another nickle.

            Reply ↓

    • .
      Why is there no uproar? He’s doing the teapottier proud: never address the real issues if you don’t have to. or just run away from them.
      Are the majority of his constituents that enamored with him as to go along for the ride of destroying their ever lovin’ lives?

      Reply ↓

      • This is a heavily R district, and long on spewers of Faux talking points. Still. since Eric decided to take a more visible role, especially during the debt ceiling mess, I here more conservatives speaking against him.

        Reply ↓

      • I wonder if a “family values” DA will have him arrested and prosecuted for indecent exposure. The video shows him intentionally dropping his drawers. He could be labeled a sex offender for the rest of his life.

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  24. Tomorrow is a special day, one ably summarized in this Truthout.org post by Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III. Seldom if ever have I wished to be in Washington DC on or for any occasion or purpose, but tomorrow would be a very large one-day exception to my nearly seventy years worth of indifference.

    Meanwhile, I can’t help but wonder how many Republican presidential hopefuls will be in attendance. I’m guessing zero.

    1963: I remember it well. I did, then, honestly believe that the direction of America’s destiny was always and inevitably forward and upward, that while we as a nation had endured various setbacks and would undoubtedly endure more to come, we would never fail.

    Today’s realities provide only one small puzzle piece in that overall picture, but it’s the one which reveals for all to see the extreme naivete so many of us possessed way back in 1963.

    Dr. King’s Memorial Is About the Reality, Not the “Dream”

    …If one studies Dr. King’s speeches and writings and understands the context of their time, the reality is that Dr. King was not about politics; he was about policy. He was not about elected positions and presidents; he was about people. Dr. King was not about tax breaks for the wealthiest of us; he was about social programs for the least of us. He was not about a war in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Libya. He saw “… war as an enemy of the poor …” and attacked it as such.

    The best way to pay tribute to Dr. King and his total sacrifice is to understand what he stood for. Dr. King did give America and the world his ultimate sacrifice; he was not assassinated because of his “Dream”; he was assassinated because of the reality of his vision.
    […]

    Reply ↓

    • .

      he was assassinated because of the reality of his vision

      That reality is currently taking some hits – the POTUS is still taking the racial barbs and insults Dr. King did – – the sweetness of it all:
      Black man in the White House. That’s the REALITY come to fruition!

      Reply ↓

      • Whatever else happens during President Obama’s term, I’ll never forget election day 2008. The black folks in my town were positively ebullient, you could feel it. It had been a long time coming.

        Reply ↓

  25. Jeez. NY’s Governor Andrew Cuomo is speaking now (they have it on the Weather Channel), he’s sounding more and more like his dad Mario. Too bad he doesn’t appear to be as strong as Mario was, although at least he presided over the passing of the legislation to legalize gay marriage. It’s the fact that he’s even considering letting some company start fracking to the north of us that really pisses me off.

    Reply ↓

    • .
      Why do leaders become tone-deaf when they must know something is injurious to people: fracking – he just has to wander a state or two down to know what it’s doing to people’s lives.

      Reply ↓

      • You apparently haven’t seen the Exxon-Mobil fracking commercial on MSNBC — teaches you all you need to know in thirty seconds, especially about how safe fracking is when done by E-M and how responsible they are. Course, if it’s somebody else, who knows what could go wrong.

        Reply ↓

  28. Here’s an argument against gun control I recently read. (Note: I can’t seem to find the comment so I’ll have to paraphrase.)

    After Pearl Harbor our navy was destroyed and we had 2 million men already fighting the Nazis. Japan could have successfully invaded the United States but they were stopped because they new our citizens were armed.

    Reply ↓

    • Yeah, that must have been it.

      It couldn’t have been that they didn’t have aircraft that could fly all the way across the Pacific without stopping somewhere in the middle, which would give away their evil plans.

      Reply ↓

    • My impression, based on various historical accounts I’ve read over the years, is that Japan had no intention at all of anything beyond their sneak attack on Oahu. Had they decided to take the chance and attack the west coast of North America, they certainly would never have been able to muster anything more than another Pearl Harbor-style action and even then would have been a LONG way from friendly waters or shores, all with no friendly bases anywhere within their reach. I seriously doubt that the threat of armed Americans had anything to do with anything; one could, in fact, wonder why the substantial Japanese population in California might not have been seen as a potential virtue.

      The mythology that the second amendment protects us from foreign enemies doesn’t like to give up any ground, however, and so it repeats itself time and again, situation after situation. In fact, the mythology that the second amendment protects us from anything at all follows that same tack. Its principle function seems to grant not so much the right to bear arms as it does to grant the right of the gun owner to pretend he has a big (or at least a potentially visible) dick.

      Reply ↓

      • RWers on the SCOTUS like to talk about “original intent”, but throw that out the window when it comes to the Second Amendment. We are not supposed to have a standing army, and the original intent of the 2nd Amend was for citizens to be our defense against foreign invasion, which could only have come by land or sea. It was never intended to be an excuse to have arms for personal protection against criminals (as far as I understand), and the fact that our citizenry could take up arms against our own government was viewed as a side effect, not the primary purpose.

        And, of course, as always, I could be wrong.

        Reply ↓

      • Indeed. The Japanese never had the means or intent to invade the U.S. and they certainly weren’t held back by the threat of armed citizens. They thought that we were soft cowards who wouldn’t risk a military confrontation.

        Reply ↓

    • Our aircraft carriers were intact. That stopped the Japanesse from exploiting their success at Pearl Harbor.

      Had our aircraft carriers been destroyed, The war in the Pacific would have turned out quite differently. Granted, they didn’t have the manpower to invade the mainland, but they could have carried out enough air strikes on major cities to bargain for a cease-fire, with them holding on to Hawaii (which was, after all, only a Territory at the time).

      Reply ↓

  29. From the good folks who preach about being “fair and balanced,” here’s a clip insulting to many of us atheists. And fuck those on the set insulted by the guest’s assertions that contradicted their beliefs. Basically, these people said that they believed praying to a being who was, by their own admission, not all-powerful was not a waste of time. And they had no argument for his advice: Be prepared.

    [NOTE: It runs a commercial first, then the clip, then continues to another commercial and clip. So you’ll want to stop it after the clip about the atheist with the most sensible advice. Short, about 4-1/2 minutes.]

    http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1130350023001/what-do-atheists-do-in-crisis/

    Reply ↓

  31. From an article I’m reading in The Smithsonian on inventor Samuel F.B. Morse:

    “That same year, 1834, to the dismay of many, Morse had joined in the Nativist movement, the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic outcry sharply on the rise in New York and in much of the country. Like others, he saw the American way of life threatened with ruination by the hordes of immigrant poor from Ireland, Germany and Italy, bringing with them their ignorance and their “Romish” religion.”

    Reply ↓

    • I am not filled with pride to be from a state that had so much hate in its history. Rudeness? Fuck, yeah! Hate? Shit, no!

      BTW, Utah gets blamed for Mormonism but it was actually founded in Rochester, NY, which is where Joseph Smith found the gold plates that started it all. And, of course, that famous New York hatred drove them out of the state. 😦

      Reply ↓

  34. Had an interesting exchange with John Dean on the Twitter. I’m glad he doesn’t think highly of the GOP these days. Oh, and the Onion article to which he linked is funny, in a funny-cause-it’s-true kind of way.

    @JohnWDean
    If you missed: via @TheOnion – New GOP Strategy Involves Reelecting Obama, Making His Life Even More Miserable http://t.co/p4MoSiY
    [I hope I fixed that link correctly.]

    @WayneASchneider
    @JohnWDean How would the Republicans fix the very things they are making worse with their policies? By more of the same? I don’t get it.

    @JohnWDean
    @WayneASchneider The GOP as currently constituted cannot govern. They can only win elections and abuse power. GOP wins everyone loses.

    @WayneASchneider
    @JohnWDean TY, I’m glad U agree. I thought I must’ve been missing something 2 their strategy. I think the T Party wld make things even worse

    Reply ↓

  35. I know it’s Fox News and I should expect the Stupid to be strong in this one, but come on! Do away with the National Weather Service? As Nate Silver points out, Accuweather gets its data from the NWS for free. For crying out loud, does every fucking thing have to be privatized with these RWNJs? Is there nothing besides national defense for which they think the government can promote the general welfare?

    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/08/27/do-really-need-national-weather-service/

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  36. I find it hard to believe that this e-mail is really authentic. There just seems to be too much stereotypical thinking employed in it. I know it fits the mindset we all like to believe Karl Rove has, but is that a myth spurred by our dislike of him or is it reality? Nevertheless, if it is authentic, it is indeed chilling. And if it is for real, then we have to stop the left-wing sniping of Obama and work for his re-election. As Rove (allegedly) mentions, there are Supreme Court vacancies to consider. We need to get Thomas impeached and removed and a replacement in place while the Dems still control the Senate. True, the Rs will do everything they hypocritically can to ensure the nominee doesn’t get an up-or-down vote, but that’s the kind of two-faced illogical people they are.

    We must not give up hope. People can be persuaded to, at the very least, not vote for Republicans. They can be convinced that if they aren’t rich, then between the two parties the Democrats are more likely to not throw this country to the corporations, they way our government did during the Robber Baron days and the recent Reagan/Bush/Clinton days. (Clinton signing the repeal of Glass-Steagal was a gift to the people trying to ruin this country.)

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/27/1010778/-BREAKING:-Leaked-Rove-email-singles-out-Daily-Kos?via=siderecent

    Reply ↓

      • It’s a sad comment on the times we live in when even the truly intelligent find it difficult to distinguish between truth and parody.

        Reply ↓

        • Thank you for the compliment. As I’m sure Zooey will agree, it’s the intelligent ones who have the wherewithal to notice it’s “just too good to be true,” which means it might not be.

          Just like the Fox News story I posted above. You’d think it was The Onion, but it was really Fox News touting their “the private sector can do everything better”-routine. (That’s just an ill-defined lie.) I honestly believe that the Right Wing Capitalists in this country believe with all their (empty) hearts that if you can’t make a lot of money doing something, it isn’t worth doing at all.

          Reply ↓

      • I agree, which is why I doubted its authenticity. The difficult thing is that even if it were a parody, it;s just the kind of thing Rove would have someone do.

        Maybe it;s someone’s subtle way of telling us libs and progs to stop bitching about what Obama hasn’t done and start being grateful for what he has done. Give him a second term with an even more Democratic Congress and nothing will stop him. With no re-election worries, he can do even more than he’s already done.

        I’m certainly not staying home in Nov ’12 (I’ve got a Republican Representative to oust), and I’m certainly never going to vote for a Republican for president, so he has my vote.

        Reply ↓

        • As you know, a good parody doesn’t beat the audience over the head repeatedly — this does. It’s laid on a bit too thick, IMHO.

          You’re right, the libs/progs need to stop playing directly into repiggie hands by pissing and moaning so publicly. I know it’s a lot to ask of our kind, but a united front would be really great about now.

          Reply ↓

        • Wayne, we have no choice but to fight for Obama’s reelection. The alternative is unthinkable. You’re right, we must also give him the overwhelming majority required to advance our goals. I wish more democrats would win elections and start loudly proclaiming “mandate to fulfill the wishes of the american people”, just like R’s do.

          Reply ↓

  38. It’s raining really hard and steady and it will remain raining hard and steady for the next several hours.

    Outstanding… glad to see that you are okay. My biggest fear is losing power because if that happens, we will be the last to get power restored. That’s the problem with living in a rural area. New Jersey and Philadelphia are getting clobbered. Hope my friends that live in the city are safe. We have lived through hurricanes before.

    Reply ↓

    • I’m not real sure of your location, but we are west of the 95 corridor and have had few problems. We kept our power so far and all pork, both frozen and on the hoof, is fine. Hope you come through without power loss, I miss water the most when we lose power.

      Reply ↓

    • Cats,
      My son lives in New Jersey is working to keep people safe. The problem is that he is in NYC helping to keep the utilities up. He won’t be able to get home until Sunday late. Transportation and roads out of the city are down.

      Reply ↓

  39. The Virginia Piedmont has largely weathered the storm, though I’ve heard nothing from the folks in Norfolk. Best wishes to Cats, the Schneiders, and 5th, some of whom I imagine are getting quite wet about now.

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks. So far the storm hasn’t really hit our area yet. In fact, it;s so slow-moving it may not get here until tomorrow morning. And I’d rather go through this in the daytime than during the night.

      Jane and i were wondering how our commute to work will be on Monday morning. Our office is on road with a lot of trees overhanging it. We may not be able to even get to the office. We arrive separately, so I’ll find out before she does.

      Thank you all for your concern, and good luck to my fellow Zoosters and Critters also affected by the storm.

      Reply ↓

    • Thanks, Outstanding. It’s been raining off and on all day, sometimes in straight downpours. At this point, though, (almost midnight Eastern time), the wind is starting to pick up and it seems to be raining harder.

      We’ve already had trees down in our general area recently due to all of the rains and storms, and with the ground so saturated, we expect lots more trees to be downed by this storm.

      But at least all of our remaining 6 kids (cats) are safely inside, we’ve got plenty of food and water, we filled the bathtub with water (I love the trailer on the weather channel that tell you to fill the tub with water but don’t DRINK it!), and we’ve got plenty of candles. Now, if only we had some of dbadass’s ‘cider’, we’d be in great shape!

      Reply ↓

  40. I tell you, those RWers just don’t fucking get it.

    @IngrahamAngle Laura Ingraham
    Storm Hype Central: what happens when u hype a storm and it doesn’t come?

    @WayneASchneider Wayne A Schneider
    .@IngrahamAngle It hasn’t hit the area yet with its full force. R all U RWers that dumb in your anti-government-ism? Who’s saying it’s safe?

    Reply ↓

    • “what happens when u hype a storm and it doesn’t come?”

      You stop and count your blessings you stupid b*&ch. Folk have died in VA, though perhaps not enough to rate a mention from the sensationalist bunch that employs you.

      Reply ↓

  43. .
    Augusto Righi experimented with electromagnetism and solid-state physics, and conducted work that led to the development of wireless telegraphy — radio
    .
    Charles Stewart Rolls raised in peerage, the son of a baron, and owned the third car in Wales — a 3 ž horsepower Peugeot
    .
    Tuesday Weld, Actress: Once Upon a Time in America
    .

    The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
    .

    Lester Young
    .
    .
    and the lowly Ebb
    (who had a grand time with friend and family)

    Reply ↓

    • We haven’t heard from Lass either. The outer bands have made it to her territory now. I was hoping she’d check in sometime today.

      Reply ↓

      • Thanks, house ~ I got in from work@ 8:30 and it was just beginning to rain; has not stopped since. Been emailing/fb most of the night with family and friends all over (some having storm related anxiety and others who are dealing with power outages/flooding and tornado warnings.) We’re ok for now here in SW NH ~ I’ll keep you updated throughout the day, as I am able …

        Reply ↓

      • Yup, that’s the one.

        I’ve been having fun arguing with the Paulistas on that thread and the Islamophobes on the ‘$42 Million funding Islamophobia’ thread from yesterday

        However, I’m heading for bed now. If we have power in the morning, we’ll let you all know how things are going Irene-wise.

        Goodnight! (from Wayne, too.).

        Reply ↓

  48. Ron Paul Calls for Spending Cuts Before Hurricane Relief

    excerpts
    [Chris Wallace]: “I assume if the Obama administration comes and asks for a emergency funding bill for FEMA, you’re a definite no?” Wallace pressed.

    [Ron Paul]: “Where would the money come from?” Paul said, again laughing. “We don’t have any money… I would consider what I just said. I have precise beliefs in what we should do and I want to transition out of dependency on the federal governent.” … “We’ve conditioned our people that FEMA will take care of us and everything will be OK. But you try to make these programs work the best you can. You can’t just keep saying, ‘Oh, they need money.’ We’re out of money. The country is bankrupt.”

    I think it’s time to DOUBLE the tax rate on the rich, bring it up to 70%. The rate worked well when Kennedy reduced it to 70, should work equally well when we raise it to 70.

    Fact is, I’m getting goddamned sick of rich fucks bitching about paying their fair share, and I think it’s high time to nail the bastards to their golden crosses. Bring this country back before there’s nothing left to bring back.

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